As ski resorts across the world embrace the winning combination of winter sports and festivals of music, comedy or food, the choice of events has become quite bewildering. The action kicks off in London with the fourth Relentless Freeze Festival at Battersea Power Station on Saturday. Complete with a 32-metre-high ski jump, and four stages for live music, it promises to get the winter festival season off to a fitting start (www.relentlessfreeze.com).

Chef's Cup, Alta Badia, Italy January 22-27

The Chef's Cup is a high-altitude celebration of haute cuisine in the heart of the Dolomites. The brainchild of twin-Michelin-starred local chef Norbert Niederkofler, it sees 400 of the world's finest chefs discuss culinary trends, showcase local produce and compete amicably on the snow. Visitors can feast on the results, join cookery courses at Alta Badia's trio of Michelin-starred restaurants and enjoy events on the slopes (www.chefscup.it).

This year will herald Vail's inaugural Winter TEVA Mountain Games, with professional and amateur athletes flocking to the resort in pursuit of adventure, music – and the $60,000 purse. Competitions in everything from ice climbing and Telemark skiing to snowshoe racing and mountain cyclocross, plus free concerts, films, snow sculpture contests and plenty of parties (www.tevamountaingames.com/winter).

Expanding on the City Ski Championships, historically held in Courmayeur, the Momentum Ski Festival will take place in Crans Montana, adding a buzzing après-ski scene to its ski racing programme. With pro-skier Warren Smith and his team on hand for pre-race coaching and Marcus Brigstocke arranging the off-mountain activities (www.momentumski.com).

Méribel Live has blossomed from humble beginnings as a free gig played by The Feeling on the pistes of Méribel in 2008, to a week-long celebration of French and British music. Last year saw the then little-known Ben Howard wow an audience of no more than 50 and Sophie Ellis-Bextor rock the auditorium – see www.meribel.net for news on the 2012 line-up.

The hills of Mayrhofen will be alive with peals of laughter next March, when some of the biggest names in comedy take over the vibrant Austrian resort. Having built up an impressive cast of regular artists in its former home of Méribel, Altitude will celebrate its fifth birthday in the company of comedians including Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle, Ed Byrne, Marcus Brigstocke and Al Murray (www.altitudefestival.com).

The annual Jazz Up festival, which takes place in Avoriaz in the Portes du Soleil ski area, has developed into an international gathering. The 2012 festival will feature seven headliner concerts and 40 "dinner" concerts held in local restaurants and bars, with artists including Biréli Lagrène, Pura Fé and Naturally 7.